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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23963158">Convey</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/sykilik101/pseuds/sykilik101'>sykilik101</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Pocket Monsters | Pokemon (Anime)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>AAML - Freeform, F/M, SatoKasu, pokeshipping - Freeform</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-18 01:35:45</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,539</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23963158</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/sykilik101/pseuds/sykilik101</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Ash isn't a romantic. He catches Pokémon, wins badges, and...carries me when I'm hurt. It doesn't mean he feels anything, and it doesn't mean I do, either. ...right? OneShot Pokeshipping</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Kasumi | Misty/Satoshi | Ash Ketchum</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>3</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>25</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>Convey</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>So just in the way that A Traditional Farewell and Connecting were inspired by a tweet, so too was this story, although the main catalyst for this piece was moreso the artwork IN the tweet. I will say, though, that I’m REALLY, REALLY happy with this story. Like, I was happy with how A Traditional Farewell, Of Density and Immaturity, and Connecting turned out, but it was in writing this story that I went “Wow, my rust is shaking off, THIS is good.” I’m excited for you all to give this a read!</p><p>Dedication: Naturally this story is gonna be dedicated to Kashmimo, both for drawing the art and for giving me permission to post her art for you all to see. If you wanna see the tweet/art, just put this link in the address bar without spaces: bit . ly/3cQvK4B</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“On second thought, Ash, maybe this isn’t the best idea.”</p><p>“Misty, I’m already carrying you, there’s no reason to put you down.”</p><p>“But my ankle isn’t hurt <i>that</i> bad, and I-”</p><p>“Misty, just be quiet.”</p><p>He always does this. Ash Ketchum, ever the friend, ever the hero. It was hard to tell if his heroism was a gift from destiny, or if it was why fate had chosen him to save the world over and over again. I don’t think Ash would have much of a response if someone asked him about it.</p><p>Today was supposed to follow the same old routine: Team Rocket digs a hole, our group falls into the hole, Pikachu almost gets stolen, and minutes later Team Rocket is blasting off again. Lather, rinse, repeat, every day without fail. Normally by this point we’d be making our way towards whatever town or landmark we were heading for, but normally I don’t have a sprained ankle from falling into the trap.</p><p>Team Rocket’s usually so good about making relatively safe holes, too.</p><p>Brock went on ahead to alert Nurse Joy at the nearby Pokémon Center that we were coming. Our original destination was still a day away, and I was in no mood to camp out with an injury. Potentially having to wake up and start running because of some random emergency would end disastrously. That’s not to say Ash wouldn’t have gone out of his way to carry me, just like he was doing now.</p><p>Ever the friend, ever the hero.</p><p>“I’m not too heavy, am I?”</p><p>“Trust me, if you were, I’d tell you.”</p><p>“You better not be lying.”</p><p>I felt the gentle vibration of Ash’s chuckle against his back. “Misty, believe me, you’re not. See?”</p><p>At this he took a firmer hold on my thighs, hefting me up the smallest bit before relaxing back into the hold. My heart hammered in my chest at the touch and I smacked him on the shoulder. “Ash, don’t do that, you’ll drop me!”</p><p>That same easy-going laugh returned. “I promise I won’t.”</p><p>His words were oddly relaxed for someone transporting their injured friend three miles through a forest to a Pokémon Center. To his credit he didn’t seem like he was struggling to hold me or walk along the dirt path, even after he’d exerted himself in the battle to get Pikachu back. Speaking of the battle...</p><p>“I hope Pikachu will be alright.”</p><p>Ash’s grip briefly tightened again. “He’ll be fine. Brock gave him a potion, and Pikachu is used to battling Team Rocket whenever they try to kidnap him. A few Tackles are nothing he can’t handle.”</p><p>“I guess you’re right,” I replied. Ash nodded wordlessly, leaving the conversation to fizzle out. Truth be told, it was a few Tackles on top of a Poison Sting from Arbok. We didn’t have any antidotes left, so Brock had rushed away with Pikachu after giving him the potion. I fully expected Ash to be the one to take him, but his logic was that someone had to stay back and help me, and he trusted Brock to get there the fastest without getting lost. I could only hope that didn’t mean <i>we’d</i> be the ones wandering aimlessly through the trees.</p><p>With any luck, Brock would get there quickly enough to get help. The sun was starting to set, and though the path was pretty easy to follow, it wouldn’t be the first time our group - Ash, specifically - had made one tiny wrong turn in the dark and gotten lost. Even so, I trusted Brock, and I knew Ash did, too. His silence was probably his concern mixed with him trying to seem composed so that I wouldn’t worry.</p><p>Leave it to Ash to know the right moment to be sweet.</p><p>I gripped his shoulders a little tighter, recalling the way my heart had jolted when he’d squeezed my thighs. Recently, Ash had been doing things that would randomly form knots in my stomach; it would be a smile, or something he’d say, or even the blazing look in his eyes when we’d argue. That fire that always burned me in the moment now left me warm in the aftermath. Even the way he called my name made my pulse pick up its pace.</p><p>Over the years a lot of people have teased Ash and I about liking each other. I’d always denied it because, I mean, it wasn’t true. Ash has a lot of really good qualities, despite being stubborn and immature, but I never really thought about dating him. It just sounds...weird. He’s my friend, someone I travel with. He still owes me a bike, after all.</p><p>But lately, the tousled way his hair looks without his hat seems more endearing than sloppy. When he’s in a battle, I sometimes have to remind myself to focus on the Pokémon instead of the determination and focus on his face. It’s always sweet the way he asks Pikachu if he’s ready for bed at night, but the look he gives Pikachu before they close their eyes is filled with a care and love that I’d never given Ash credit for. I wonder what it would be like if Ash looked at me that way.</p><p>I shook my head, clearing that thought out of my mind. This is the same Ash who’d rather go on a Pokémon catching spree than on a date. He’d never shown any real interest in the opposite gender; that was usually Brock’s job. I had a better chance of catching a Mew than becoming the object of his affections. Even if he happened to like me, it’s not like he would have <i>any</i> idea how to win me over. The mental image of Ash trying to be suave and charming made me giggle, though I tried not to be too obvious about it.</p><p>Ash quietly chuckled below me, and I worried for a second that maybe he’d somehow read my mind. “What is it, Ash?”</p><p>“I was just thinking, I bet after Brock makes sure Pikachu is okay, the first thing he’ll do is try to be all cute with Nurse Joy.”</p><p>This giggle I don’t keep to myself. “Yeah, I’m sure he’ll try something. Although, if it hasn’t worked on any other Nurse Joy, I doubt it’ll work on this one.”</p><p>“That sounds about right,” he replied jovially, making another arm adjustment that sent a flush to my face. Being carried by him shouldn’t get me <i>this</i> riled up, but defying the impossible was the Ash Ketchum specialty. “But y’know…”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“Do you think, maybe, it might work if he tried doing that with one girl?”</p><p>I cocked my head, intrigued at the sudden direction this conversation was taking. “What do you mean?”</p><p>“Well…” Ash took a breath, and I don’t know if he realized that his fingers pushed further into my legs, “Brock tries to be all romantic with almost every girl he meets, and it never works, right? I was wondering if being nice and talking sweet like he does would work if he only did it with one girl.”</p><p>I hadn’t thought Ash would give this topic any kind of consideration, but his curiosity piqued my own. “I don’t know about Brock’s methods, but what girl <i>wouldn’t</i> like a guy who keeps trying to show her that he likes her?”</p><p>“Would that work if most girls haven’t really liked how he’s acted?”</p><p>I pressed a finger to my head, knowing what I wanted to say but needing a second to articulate it. “Well, if the girl actually liked Brock, it would probably be pretty easy, I guess.”</p><p>“You think so?”</p><p>“Sure,” I replied, moving my hand back onto his shoulder. “After all, if Brock acting the way he does is why she likes him, then all he has to do is keep acting that way and she’ll keep falling for him.”</p><p>Ash hummed to himself before going quiet again. I’d expected the conversation to go on a bit longer before reminding myself that the topic was romance, something Ash hadn’t really tried before. Still, it <i>was</i> something, and the idea of Ash contemplating love in some capacity beyond just being a distraction, or something that he had no interest in, formed bubbles in my stomach. Maybe it wouldn’t be the last time he and I-</p><p>...wait, what had I said just now?</p><p>If Brock continues to act like a goofball in front of girls, and a girl likes him for that, she’ll keep liking him as long as he keeps being himself. It makes sense, after all. You like someone because of who they are, so as long as they don’t change a lot, there’s no reason why you wouldn’t keep liking them, or even start falling harder for them.</p><p>Does that mean I’ll keep falling for Ash?</p><p>...wait, <i>keep</i>? Since when did I even decide I’d fallen for him in the first place?</p><p>“Is your ankle okay?”</p><p>I snapped out of my thoughts at the sound of his voice, taking note of how my leg was feeling. “It hurts a little, but I’m fine.” Why is my voice suddenly shaky? It shouldn’t be shaky around Ash! “You should hurry it up, though, it’s getting cold!”</p><p>Rather than answer me, he looked around the path, though for what I had no idea. Whatever it was, however, he clearly didn’t find it as he gently shook his head. He waltzed over to the side of the dirt, next to a tree. “Can I put you down for a second?”</p><p>“Huh? Sure.”</p><p>He eased me down onto my feet, or rather, foot, as I was quickly reminded that my ankle was in no condition to support me. Leaning against the tree I watched him take his jacket off before handing it over. “Here, put this on.”</p><p>I was no stranger to Ash being a gentleman, but the look in his eyes as he held the jacket to me made my throat feel three times smaller. “Ash...but then you’ll be cold.”</p><p>“Nah, carrying you has been keeping me warm, so I’ll be fine.”</p><p>I would have argued more if I wasn’t using a tree to balance myself on my one good ankle and in need of a bed as soon as possible. Standing on one foot I started working one hand through the sleeve when I felt my balance giving way. Before gravity pulled me to the ground Ash took a hold of my waist. For reasons I’d never understood his hands were perpetually warm, even through his gloves.</p><p>“It’s probably hard to put it on while trying to stand on one leg, huh? Let me keep you steady.”</p><p>A suffocating heat rose through my neck and into my cheeks. I could only nod as I finished putting his jacket on, my mind screaming “His hands are on your waist!” over and over again. His residual scent clung to the cloth and it only fueled the tiny inferno burning away in my head.</p><p>“Are you feeling any warmer now?”</p><p>“Yes! Yes, I mean, yeah, thanks.”</p><p>His head cocked to the side in confusion, and if I was being honest, I couldn’t blame him. Even <i>I</i> didn’t know where this was all coming from. In all the times where I’d thought about liking Ash, it had never gotten this bad before. Most of my musings were just speculation about the idea without actually feeling anything in particular. Suddenly all those romance movies I’d seen where the main characters went crazy were starting to make sense.</p><p>Ash apparently lost interest in my confusion, mercifully releasing his hold on my waist and kneeling with his back to me. “Come on, let’s get going before it gets too dark.”</p><p>My leg refused to move as I was drawn to his back in a way I hadn’t been when he first offered to carry me. His was a back that had shouldered all his hopes and the weight of the world on numerous occasions. Now it would be what ferried me to safety, and though I probably didn’t compare to his aspirations or the world in his eyes, the idea still made my heart flutter.</p><p>I don’t know how long I stared, but Ash turned to me, the corner of his mouth curling upward. “Misty, I promised I wouldn’t let you go, remember? You don’t gotta be scared.”</p><p>It wasn’t the words or even knowing how sincere they were that did it. It was the <i>way</i> he spoke, the spark in his eyes. Ash was the embodiment of lightning, from the way Pikachu was his first Pokémon to the bolts across his cheeks. He was white-hot energy and flashes of static that made my hairs stand on end. There wasn’t a doubt in my mind that Ash was a being of electricity.</p><p>And I, a being of water, was made to conduct electricity.</p><p>I hobbled over, allowing him to wrap his arms around my thighs once more as he hoisted me up.</p><p>“There you go.”</p><p>I wasn’t even sure I was supposed to hear that, especially since his voice was barely above a whisper. He made one more adjustment with his hands before he seemed satisfied. Maybe, to him, I belonged here. Not exactly like this, but close by, within arm’s reach. Maybe he was comfortable having me here, where he could protect me when I needed him. Just maybe, I feel the same. Or, maybe this is all just my imagination and something else entirely unrelated is causing these palpitations in my chest.</p><p>I needed to know. I wanted to be certain.</p><p>I leaned against him, wrapping my arms around his shoulders and letting my chin rest in the crook of his neck. My hands settled on his chest, and I don’t know why I was surprised at how fast his heart was beating. He’d been carrying me for nearly a half hour now, so of course he’d probably be a little tired. My own heartbeat matched his and I wondered if he could feel it.</p><p>“Misty? Are you okay?”</p><p>I nodded, enjoying a new elation at the way his cheek grazed mine as he spoke. “This is warmer.”</p><p>He was wordless for a moment before I felt him nod. “Yeah, it is.”</p><p>This was too close, too intimate; there was no way I could write this feeling off as panic from being lost or a pain-induced illusion. And yet, it was also stupidly unfair. This was Ash. He and romance don’t mix. The odds of him somehow deciding I was a girl he wanted to be affectionate and loving towards were slim to none. Still...I nuzzled my face closer into the side of his neck. If Ash could believe in becoming a Pokémon Master without losing faith in himself, then I could believe in him eventually feeling for me what I now feel for him.</p><p>I didn’t compare to his aspirations or the world, but maybe Ash could find some space on his back for one more dream.</p><p>“Ash?”</p><p>“Hm?”</p><p>“Don’t let me down, okay?”</p><p>Being so close, I heard him hum confidently. “I won’t.”</p><p>Ash Ketchum, ever my friend, ever my hero.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>Fun little fact in case you didn't catch it: In this story, Ash already has a crush on Misty. Reread it knowing that and see if you can spot Ash's motivations for some of the things he says/does. :P</p><p>Don’t forget to leave kudos and review! (Please, this story means a lot, and I wanna know that you all loved it, too.)</p><p>It’s been a while since I’ve written a first person POV story, and I don’t recall that I’ve written a story where Misty had yet to realize her feelings for him. Combine that with this artwork that I found, and, well, sudden inspiration. Hope you all enjoyed it.</p></blockquote></div></div>
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